Several killed in shooting at Dollar General store in Jacksonville

There were “multiple fatalities” in a shooting Saturday afternoon at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, city officials told CBS News. The suspect was also killed, officials said.

Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan told CBS affiliate WJAX-TV that following the shooting, the suspect barricaded himself inside the store. 

“We know that there is a White male that is barricaded inside the Dollar General, from what I understand,” Deegan told WJAX-TV from the scene during the standoff.

Officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and firefighters with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to the scene.  

The circumstances of the incident and the number of fatalities and injuries were still unclear. 

“One shooting is too much, but these mass shootings are really hard to take,” Deegan said.   

Nearby Edwards Waters University said in a campus safety alert that all students were being “kept in their residence halls.” The university said the shooting was not believed to have involved any campus faculty, staff or students. 

In a statement provided to CBS News, Dollar General said it was “heartbroken by the senseless act of violence that occurred at our Kings Road store,” adding that “supporting our Jacksonville employees and the DG family impacted by this tragedy is a top priority as we work closely with law enforcement.”

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters and other city officials were expected to hold a news briefing Saturday evening.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.